For this free public event, Professor Peter Gatrell and Kasia Nowak, from the University of Manchester, will discuss their collaborative three-year Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded project “Reckoning with refugeedom: refugee voices in modern history, 1919 to 1975.”
The project, which began in July 2018, explores the testimonies of refugees in different moments and sites of displacement, including pre-1939 and post-1945 Europe, and South Asia between 1947 and 1971. It pays particular attention to how refugees communicated with officials and others in positions of authority, and with what consequences.

Journeys Festival International aims to bring the talents of local, national and international refugee artists to the general public, creating a positive interface with the community. The festival takes place annually in the cities of Leicester, Manchester and Portsmouth.It explores the refugee experience through a whole range of free arts activities including live music, hands-on artist-led workshops, theatre, performance, film, discussion, exhibitions, storytelling, pop-up events and more.

The event forms part of Leicester’s wider initiative to be recognised as a University of Sanctuary, a place of welcome for refugees and asylum seekers.